SEC Football

Jalen Brown, a 5-star wide receiver prospect out of Florida, has committed to LSU.

The Advocate's Wilson Alexander reported the offensive standout's selection of the Tigers on Friday.

Brown is ranked 29th overall and fourth among wide receivers in the 2023 class, per 247Sports' composite ratings. He's also listed as the eighth-ranked prospect out of Florida and second-ranked wide receiver out of the Sunshine State behind Brandon Inniss.

247Sports' Southeast recruiting analyst Andrew Ivins provided a scouting report of the 6'1", 170-pound receiver out of Gulliver Prep, and an excerpt of it is shared below:

"Will probably need a year or two before he’s ready to make an impact on Saturdays, but should be viewed as a vertical playmaker that quarterbacks are going to want to target whenever it’s time to take a shot. Could get some burn in the slot, but looks like more of a natural on the outside in a modern pro-style attack. First-class speed (10.6 in the 100-meter dash and 21.1 in the 200-meter) is what NFL scouts covet these days."

Brown's decision to commit to LSU comes as little surprise, as all of On3.com's experts predicted he would land with the Tigers. In addition, he tweeted in June that he had a great visit to LSU.

Brown has shown enough at the high school level to prove he can make an immediate impact in college, but it's unclear what his role as a freshman at LSU will look like.

He will eventually get his chance to shine for the Tigers, and his arrival at LSU is a major boost for the team's offense.

Officials from Texas A&M wrote to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey asking the conference to punish Alabama head coach Nick Saban for his comments about how the Aggies "bought every player on their team."

On3's Andy Wittry shared a portion of a letter by A&M President M. Katherine Banks and athletic director Ross Bjork:

We write to express Texas A&M University's disappointment and outrage at the recent statements made by Alabama University [sic] Head Football Coach Nick Saban that 'A&M bought every player on their team-made a deal for Name, Image, Likeness.'

Coach Saban's statement was a blatant violation of SEC bylaws regarding sportsmanship. More significantly, without citing any facts to support his statement, Coach Saban is accusing every, single player in Texas A&M's recruiting class and current football team of violating NCAA NIL guidelines and Texas state law.

Banks and Bjork said the SEC should "consider monetary and participation penalties against Coach Saban."

There typically isn't much to talk about in college football during the summer months. Spring practice is over and everybody is gearing up for the season ahead.

Saban changed that when he—intended or not—took a shot at Texas A&M after Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff assembled a potentially historic 2022 recruiting class.

Saban almost assuredly isn't alone in believing NIL deals, despite the fact they can't be offered as direct inducements for a player to sign, played a role in A&M's success on the recruiting trail.

Fisher didn't take the remarks lying down. He quickly arranged a press conference to respond and didn't hold his opinions about Saban back. At one point, Fisher told reporters to "go dig into his past" to learn more about his conference rival.

The SEC publicly reprimanded Fisher and Saban, while the latter apologized for his comments about Texas A&M.

While the conference's desire to rein the two in is understandable, some bad blood between coaches isn't necessarily a bad thing. The back and forth between Fisher and Saban was a bit reminiscent of the intense rivalry between Steve Spurrier and Phillip Fulmer.

The Oct. 8 meeting between Alabama and Texas A&M was already a highly anticipated clash, and now it's must-watch television as the Crimson Tide look to avenge their upset last year.

Former Tennessee head football coach Lane Kiffin fired back at a Twitter troll after the Volunteers were eliminated from the college baseball super regionals by Notre Dame on Sunday.

Kiffin, who now leads the Ole Miss football program, took advantage of the Rebels earning their ticket to Omaha for the College World Series to take a shot at the Vols:

UT was the top-ranked team in the NCAA men's college baseball tournament after posting a 49-7 record during the regular season, but it couldn't overcome the unseeded Fighting Irish, who won the deciding Game 3 by a 7-3 score.

It presented an opportunity for Kiffin to respond to the message he'd received a day earlier, and he didn't pass it up.

The outspoken coach spent just one year with the Vols in 2009, leading the team to a 7-6 record, before leaving to accept the USC job after Pete Carroll left for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks.

Kiffin returned to UT's Neyland Stadium in October for the first time as a head coach since his departure. He guided the Rebels to a 31-26 win, and Vols fans responded by throwing trash on the opponent's sideline after a disputed call late in the fourth quarter.

"They're just throwing stuff. I just said put your helmets on and let's play," Kiffin said after the game. "They're passionate fans. People came to see a show and it didn't end the way they wanted it to. It is what it is."

Despite downplaying the incident in the immediate aftermath, it clearly stuck in his mind because he brought it back up Friday, which sparked the interaction:

Unfortunately, the Rebels and Volunteers aren't scheduled to face off during the upcoming football season, so the trash talk between Kiffin and Tennessee fans will have to remain on social media.

If you want Nick Saban to retire or coach your favorite team, an offer of $5,000 isn't going to cut it.

Speaking to reporters at his charity golf event Thursday, Saban joked that he was approached by an LSU fan who offered him five grand to either retire as Alabama head coach or return to the Tigers.

"He made an offer for me to retire or come back to LSU, one or the other," Saban said. "But I think LSU has a good coach. They have a lot of good players. We've had a lot of competitive games with them, and I'm sure it'll be no different in the future."

Saban had a successful five-season run as LSU head coach from 2000 to '04. He went 48-16, won two SEC titles and led the program to a national title in 2003.

It's understandable why an LSU fan would like it if Saban stopped coaching against the Tigers. The Crimson Tide have won 10 of the last 11 meetings in the rivalry since 2012.

The Tigers fared well with a 3-2 record against Saban from 2007 to '11. Their lone win in the past 10 seasons came in 2019 when the program was on its way to a 15-0 record and winning the national title with Joe Burrow at quarterback.

LSU is on its third head coach since Saban's tenure at Alabama began. Brian Kelly was hired in November after 12 seasons at Notre Dame. Les Miles and Ed Orgeron previously led the Tigers. Brad Davis served as interim head coach for one game last season after Orgeron stepped down.

Saban's contract doesn't really make a $5,000 offer very appealing. The 70-year-old signed an extension in August that averages $10.6 million per season through 2028.

If the LSU fan can find several hundred friends who will also chip in $5,000 each, perhaps Saban will reconsider his position.

Texas A&M head football coach Jimbo Fisher said Wednesday he's "moving on" from his feud with Alabama counterpart Nick Saban.

Fisher told reporters his focus has shifted to college football's "more pressing needs" as it tries to evolve in the name, image and likeness (NIL) era:

The verbal exchange began May 19 when Saban said "A&M bought every player on their team" since NIL deals became available following a Supreme Court ruling last June that barred the NCAA from limiting payments to student-athletes.

While it was just the latest in a long line of comments the longtime Bama coach has made questioning the direction of college sports in the NIL era, it was also his most direct rebuke of any program's specific use of collective pools—each program's money available for endorsement deals—to attract recruits.

It drew a strong response from Fisher, who described Saban as a "narcissist" and urged people to dig into Saban's past.

"Some people think they're God. Go dig into how God did his deal, you may find out about a guy that a lot of things you don't wanna know," Fisher said. "We build him up to be this czar of football. Go dig into his past or anybody that's ever coached with him."

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey issued a public reprimand against both coaches, saying they didn't meet the "established expectations for conduct and sportsmanship."

On Tuesday, Saban apologized for singling out Texas A&M in his prior remarks, but he didn't retract the allegations and instead refocused his ire toward the NIL environment.

"I didn't say anybody did anything wrong," Saban said.

The situation generated ample headlines not only because the coaches are currently rivals in the SEC, but also because they worked together at LSU in the early 2000s.

Saban was the head coach of the Tigers from 2000 through 2004, and Fisher was his offensive coordinator for all five of those seasons.

Brody Miller, Bruce Feldman and Matt Fortuna of The Athletic reported there were a lot of issues between the pair during those years despite the on-field success, which included the 2003 national championship.

"There was [friction] all the time," one source told The Athletic. "Will [Muschamp] and Kirby [Smart] and all the defensive guys all bowed down to Nick, but Nick depended on Jimbo a lot. But Nick is so hard on his [offensive coordinators]. They were always at each other's throats."

Another added: "Oh, it ain't like Nick and Kirby. There is no love lost between Nick and Jimbo—at all."

Two decades later, those lingering frustrations appeared to re-emerge in recent weeks.

Fisher's comments Wednesday may push the tension to the back burner for awhile, but the topic is sure to return ahead of the Oct. 8 clash between the Aggies and Crimson Tide.

In the midst of reports that the SEC is considering holding its own intraconference playoff, Commissioner Greg Sankey confirmed that an eight-team College Football Playoff remains on the table during this week's league meetings in Destin, Florida.

According to Action Network's Brett McMurphy, Sankey said Tuesday that an "eight-team playoff without automatic qualifiers is something we would consider."

According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, part of the motivation for Sankey to implement an SEC-only playoff is that he "is still mad about the way the College Football Playoff expansion talks collapsed earlier this year." There was a proposal for the CFP to expand to 12 teams, but it fell apart in February, so it will remain a four-team tournament through 2025.

The SEC is set to expand to 16 teams in 2025 when Oklahoma and Texas join the conference. The impending changes have fueled support for an exclusive postseason tournament.

"We have an incredibly strong league, one that will be even stronger once Oklahoma and Texas join. The focus should be on how we as a league use that strength to further position the SEC as we face new realities," Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin told Thamel last week. "Commissioner Sankey has encouraged our athletic directors to think creatively, and an SEC-only playoff is a different idea that we should absolutely consider an option."

While nothing is imminent, it appears that Sankey is remaining steadfast in his approach to continue to establish the SEC as the most powerful conference in college football.

"We wanted to be good be good collaborators. We think we gave up a lot ... what was viewed as a balanced approach given the up-front demands eventually feel apart," Sankey said last week. "We also have the responsibility to think broadly about different possibilities. The SEC will continue to do so."

Alabama head football coach Nick Saban doesn't have a personal grudge against Jimbo Fisher.

Speaking to reporters at the SEC spring meetings on Tuesday in Destin, Florida, Saban said "I have no problem" with the Texas A&M head coach "at all."

The comment comes nearly two weeks after Saban told the audience at a business event that the Aggies "bought every player on their team" in recruiting the past two years, per ESPN's Alex Scarborough:

I mean, we were second in recruiting last year. A&M was first. A&M bought every player on their team -- made a deal for name, image, likeness. We didn't buy one player, all right? But I don't know if we're gonna be able to sustain that in the future because more and more people are doing it. It's tough.

Saban tied his comment about the Aggies into his thoughts about how name, image and likeness rules are impacting college football.

Texas A&M has drawn a lot of attention from opposing SEC coaches recently. Mississippi's Lane Kiffin told 247Sports' Carl Reed in February that college football was "gonna implement a luxury tax" on Texas A&M and Texas because "what they’re paying the players is unbelievable."

Fisher has gotten defensive amid accusations that his program is buying all of its players.

Coming out of national signing day in February, Fisher called out an anonymous message board post that said the Aggies had $30 million in NIL funds.

Fisher also had strong words for his fellow coaches, including Kiffin, and others who were spreading rumors about Texas A&M spending to recruit players.

"To have coaches in our league and across this league to say it, clown acts," Fisher told reporters. "Irresponsible as hell. Multiple coaches in our league. And the guys griping about NIL and transfer portal are using it the most and bragging about it the most. That's the ironic part. ... It's a joke. It does piss me off."

On Tuesday, Saban noted he "didn't say anybody did anything wrong" regarding Texas A&M's recruiting practices.

Texas A&M has the nation's top-ranked class for 2022, per 247Sports' composite rankings. The class includes 27 players who are 4- or 5-star prospects, including two top-10 overall players in defensive linemen Walter Nolen and Shemar Stewart.

Saban could also be playing mind games in an attempt to get under Fisher's skin. They know each other well from their last four years coaching against each other in the SEC. Fisher was also on Saban's coaching staff at LSU from 2000 to '04.

The Aggies and Crimson Tide will play at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Oct. 8. Texas A&M beat Alabama, 41-38, last season for the first time since 2012.   

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart didn't find anything amiss upon learning how few interactions Nick Saban and Jimbo Fisher have with each other.

Speaking with reporters Tuesday, Smart generally downplayed the war of words between Saban and Fisher, explaining how it's "not super unusual to me" for two coaches not to speak with each other:

Saban drew the ire of Fisher when the Alabama head coach said Texas A&M "bought every player on their team—made a deal for name, image, likeness."

Fisher and his coaching staff assembledthe No. 1 class in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2022, and it could be a historically significant group for the Aggies.

While Saban was clearly taking a shot across A&M's bow,he likely had a different intention behind his comments given his audience. He was speaking with local business leaders, the same ones who might need to arrange the kind of NIL deals that will help Alabama land the blue-chip recruits who regularly signed with the Crimson Tide in the pre-NIL era.

Whether Saban was largely attempting to send a message to his booster base was apparently irrelevant to Fisher. The Aggies head coach quickly arranged a press conference for the ages.

Fisher told reporters he didn't answer a call from Saban in the aftermath of the initial comments and added, "We're done."

Smart added a helpful perspective, though.

The 46-year-old was an assistant under Saban with the Miami Dolphins in 2006 and followed him to Alabama before finally taking the Georgia job in 2016.

In December, Smart said Saban "meant a lot in my career" and that he "had a tremendous time while I was at Alabama." Still, Smart added he and Saban "don't communicate daily or anything" and that maintaining an open line of communication is tough because of family and the time demands of their jobs.

Fisher's public broadside against Saban was surprising, but frosty relationships between rival coaches probably isn't all that uncommon. That's likely especially true in the SEC because of how competitive the conference is.

When you're competing to sign the same players on the recruiting trail and chasing the same on-field achievements, feeling any sort of camaraderie toward your peers might be tough.

Former University of Kentucky head football coach Hal Mumme was arrested early Friday morning at a Hyatt hotel in downtown Lexington, Kentucky.

According to WKYT, police said Mumme was asked to leave the hotel but refused to do so. When police arrived he allegedly resisted arrest.

Mumme has been charged with criminal trespassing and resisting arrest, and he is set to appear in court on Friday.

The 70-year-old Mumme spent four seasons as Kentucky's head coach from 1997 to 2000, going 20-26 with two bowl appearances.

During Mumme's tenure at Kentucky, he coached quarterback Tim Couch, who went on to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft to the Cleveland Browns.

Mumme resigned following the 2000 season amid allegations of NCAA recruiting violations. Kentucky received a postseason ban in 2002 as a result, but Mumme was not punished individually.

He later went on to serve as the head coach at New Mexico State from 2005 to 2008, going just 11-38 during that time.

Mumme has been a head coach at several non-FBS schools as well, including Iowa Wesleyan, Valdosta State, Southeastern Louisiana, McMurry and Bellhaven.

Additionally, Mumme has collegiate experience as an offensive coordinator at UTEP, SMU and Jackson State.

In more recent years, Mumme has entered the professional ranks, serving as the offensive coordinator for the XFL's Dallas Renegades in 2020.

Last year, Mumme was head coach of The Spring League's Linemen team, leading them to a 5-1 record and a championship.

It appears Kirby Smart is planning to remain at Georgia for a long time. 

The national championship-winning head coach and the Georgia Bulldogs are finalizing a long-term contract extension, school president Jere Morehead said, per The Athletic's Seth Emerson.

Morehead said the deal will be "commensurate … with a national championship-winning coach."

Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks noted that the negotiation process between the school and Smart has gone well. 

"We work closely with his agent [Jimmy Sexton] on it," Brooks said. "It’s been a great process with him. No qualms there. It’s been a great process."

Smart is expected to become one of the highest-paid head coaches in college football. The terms of the deal are unclear, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him paid similarly to USC's Lincoln Riley, Alabama's Nick Saban, LSU's Brian Kelly and Michigan State's Mel Tucker, all of who have been reported to be making more than $9 million per year.

Smart's new contract will mark his second extension with Georgia. After the 2017 season, he signed a seven-year, $49 million extension with the school. When he took over as head coach of the Bulldogs in 2016, he signed a six-year deal that paid him $3.75 million annually. 

It would be a well-deserved extension for Smart, who led Georgia to a 14-1 record last season en route to the school's first national title since 1980. The 2021 campaign was his sixth season as the team's head coach.

Smart has been head coach of the Bulldogs since 2016. He has gone 66-15 in that span and is 6-2 in bowl games. Georgia's two bowl losses came in the 2018 national title game against Alabama and the 2019 Sugar Bowl against Texas. 

Before taking over as head coach of the Bulldogs, Smart served as a defensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2008-15. He also served as Alabama's defensive backs coach in 2007 and was a safeties coach for the Miami Dolphins in 2006. 

In his earlier coaching days, Smart was a defensive backs coach for LSU (2004) and a running backs coach for Georgia (2005). He got his start as an administrative assistant for Georgia in 1999 and went on to serve as the defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator at Valdosta State in 2000 and 2001 before serving as a graduate assistant at Florida State from 2002-03.